When you’re in LA, the last thing you think you will find is a place to hike – it’s the city! Hollywood, skyscrapers & traffic, not hiking, define LA.

But hidden in Culver City is the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook.

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook is a California State Park.  The full trail is 13 miles long, straight to the ocean.

GAH!!!!  That’s too long for me, and I hike on a regular basis!

But there is a much, much, MUCH shorter version that’s only about 1 mile up to amazing, 360 degree views.  If you want to skip the hike altogether, you can drive up to the top. Although if you choose this option, you will have to pay for parking. It’s $2.00 per hour, or $6.00 all day.

Here are all the deets for this easy hike to see incredible views of LA.

The trailhead is at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard & Hetzler Road in Culver City.  If you’re planning to skip the hike and drive to see the views, then the physical address is 6300 Hetzler Rd. in Culver City.

If you’re hiking up, then you’ll park on Jefferson Boulevard and walk to the trailhead.  The word, “Trailhead” marks the entrance to the trail. 

A map at the start of the trail shows the full park & paths.  A second sign has the park’s hours & rules. 

There are 2 ways to hike up to the top.

The first way is by hiking on a zig-zag trail that traverses the hillside to the top.

This trail is a wide, well-groomed dirt trail with a gentle incline, never very steep.  On my hike, there were fewer people hiking this trail, and I found it easy and more enjoyable. 

The path is fenced on both sides. Please stay on the path, as the hills are home to protected plants & wildlife.

The second turn of this zig-zag path reveals steps cut into the hillside, straight up to the top.  This was the busier option on the day I was hiking.

After reaching the top, I hiked down the steps. Each step was a different height – 8 inches, 12 inches, 18 inches, 9 inches, 12 inches, etc.  I found this very difficult going down.  I suspect it would be similarly difficult going up.  But, for sure, it would be a workout for your glutes!

The zig zag trail crosses the steps at several points.

If you change your mind – you started the stairs and decided to switch to the path or vice versa – you have several opportunities to switch your route.

Even though the slope up the path is a gentle incline, you get elevation pretty fast.  So you can start enjoying those fantastic views of Los Angeles right away.

On a clear day, you can see all the way to downtown LA.

And in the distance, you can see the Hollywood sign against the Hollywood hills. It’s tiny, because it’s waaaaaaaaay in the distance, but it’s there!

Celebrating your ascent is a marker near the top that reads, “375 Feet Above Sea Level.” 

Behind the marker are the last, few stairs (if you want to skip the rest of the zig-zag and cut straight to the top).

If you continue on the path, it’ll wind around to a horseshoe structure with wildlife and plant cutouts.

And then, you are at the top, with 360 degrees of amazing views!

But don’t stop there!

Once you’re at the top, keep exploring.  Nearby, you’ll find the Visitor’s Center, which is currently covid-closed.  But there is a water fountain & facilities to enjoy before heading back.

A sunken garden lives next to the visitor’s center with benches to relax on.  An information board describes plants and birds within the garden.

This hike was easy and fun, and a perfect escape from LA on a nice day! But you know what they say … what goes up, must come down. Looking at these steps was daunting!

If you want to see more of this hike, check out the video on my YouTube channel.